One of the medium's most iconic franchises, Mortal Kombat has seen many ups and downs throughout its thirty-year history. Now, after a four years hiatus, developer NetherRealm Studio is poised to deliver the next installment of the franchise. While virtually nothing has been revealed for the upcoming video game, there are certain obvious directions that Mortal Kombat 12 will take.
The actual story of the Mortal Kombat franchise is bizarre and full of inconsistencies but is epic in scope. The games involve numerous ninja clans, other-dimensional monsters, and gods battling for dominance over the multiverse. It wasn't until the 2011 video game, simply titled Mortal Kombat, that time travel entered the story, which served as an in-continuity reboot. Oddly enough, the developer opted to do something similar with its latest installment only two games later.
How Mortal Kombat 11 Reset The Franchise Timeline
The story of Mortal Kombat 11 was bizarre even within the context of the franchise. The main narrative revolved around a Kronika, the Keeper of Time, who, after getting angry at Raiden's meddling with the timeline, opts to restart history. This ultimately results in two massive alliances being formed by characters from multiple points in Mortal Kombat's timeline who either oppose Kronika or join her. Ultimately, her plans fail thanks to the efforts of Liu Kang and Raiden. By the time the game ends, however, the two are stuck at the beginning of time and are tasked with shaping a new future.
Roughly a year later, NetherrRealm Studios released an expansion to the game titled Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath which added more context to the original ending and provided players with a few hints as to what was to come. Depending on the player's choices, Shang Tsung or Liu Kang take over the Mortal Kombat timeline, resulting in radically different endings. One sees Shang Tsung becoming a new lord over the realms while the other sees Liu Kang becoming a benevolent God. This ending also sees him becoming a mentor to a younger version of his best friend, Kung Lao. This is where the direction of Mortal Kombat 12 becomes a bit more obvious.
What Players Can Expect From Mortal Kombat 12's Story
Regardless of what ending is ultimately considered cannon, it is clear that Mortal Kombat 12 will be another in-continuity reboot of the franchise. This new timeline gives the developer the opportunity to effectively do whatever they want within this new period. If the Liu Kang ending is followed it is likely gamers will see another version of the traditional Mortal Kombat story play out. This time around, it will likely be Kung Lou who functions as the primary protagonist with Liu Kang taking on the mentor role usually occupied by Raiden. On the other hand, Shang Tsung's ending will likely see many characters, old and new, rally against his efforts to conquer the realms.
What is also obvious is that players will likely see new versions of the original cast. With another reset timeline, it is likely that the characters will sport a new version of their old outfits similar to how it was done in the 2011 Mortal Kombat game. Certain plot points and character dynamics will also likely return should the Liu Kang ending remain the canon one. If, however, the developer opts to go with the Shang Tsung ending, players may be looking at a massive shift in the way the franchise story is told and how characters look and behave.
Ultimately it's still to early say what NetherRealm has in store for the upcoming game. The Mortal Kombat leaks have suggested that it will be a full reboot, but it's still not entirely clear what direction that reboot will take. What is obvious, however, is that players will likely see new versions of old characters and a new status quo for all the storylines in the franchise.
The next Mortal Kombat is rumored to be in development.